Why I went from landscaping to farming

Jack Etheridge is opening a sustainable regenerative farm in St Pierre du Bois

Jack Etheridge is on a mission to get people in Guernsey thinking about where their food comes from.

He uses the example of supermarkets selling green beans imported from thousands of miles away.

"Right in the middle of season, where they could be grown here, the supermarkets are flying them from very far-flung places like Kenya and Peru," he said, adding: "It is sacrilege that food isn't produced here."

The landscaper said it made more sense for food to be grown in "deepest darkest" St Pierre du Bois - and that is what he is planning to do as he prepares to open a sustainable regenerative farm.

Woodchips help the soil retain water, creating microbial activity in the soil, Mr Etheridge said

Mr Etheridge, who is opening the farm in June 2025, said few were producing "good food" despite Guernsey's "rich horticultural heritage".

The farm, which is named Rowan Tree Farm after his son, would be regenerative - which involves trying to leave the earth in a better state than it was found.

"I've been into the regenerative farming movement for a long time," said Mr Etheridge.

"In the first instance it is going to be a commercial market garden and we are going to have approximately 100 growing beds producing a range of vegetables.

"It is strictly organic, and we are going to pay close attention to the soil health, and we are going to be building our soils using all natural additives gained from as much as we can from island."

'Come and learn'

He said they had produced a massive pile of woodchips, which aims to keep the weeds down and retain water, creating microbial activity in the soil.

By opening the farm, Mr Etheridge said he wanted to encourage educational workshops and offer tours.

He said he would also like to offer visitor accommodation, pending planning approval.

"We really want to make this an area where people can come and learn how to produce their food but also come for a day out," he said.

"In time we will be running chickens, pigs and we really hope to get into cattle. We will have some turkeys and we are supposed to meeting up with a guy who has an emu."

'Completely transparent'

He said he wanted to be "completely transparent on what we are doing here".

"A key thing is that I want to have an open farm policy and I want to be completely consumer-led," he said.

"People can come and see how your food is being produced and if you choose to eat meat or eggs, you can come and see how we treat our animals.

"It is crucial to know where your food comes from."